MWL1 Dayton Dragons

Dragons Begin Final Week Of Spring Camp

Published on March 23, 2008 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Dayton Dragons News Release


Sarasota, Fla.-The Dayton Dragons will begin the final week of their spring season on Monday as the countdown to opening day continues. The Dragons will play the Hickory Crawdads, the Pirates' Single-A affiliate, on Monday afternoon as the club's roster takes shape for their Midwest League opener on April 3rd at Great Lakes. The Dragons home opener is Monday, April 7th against the Fort Wayne Wizards.

The Dragons will break camp on Saturday for Dayton with 25 active players. Terry Reynolds, the Cincinnati Reds Director of Player Development, says most of the decisions have been made.

"There are still some players who will come back (to the minor leagues) from big league camp," said Reynolds, "and that could have a little bit of an effect on the Dayton roster."

The Reds still have 12 players to trim from their roster before they open their season on March 31st, and each of those moves will have a trickle-down effect on the rosters throughout the organization.

"We probably have more players still to come back than we normally would have at this point in the spring, but for the most part, your (Dayton's) roster is set. There will be a few changes still to be made, but not many."

Among the players that Reynolds expects to be in the starting lineup for the Dragons on opening night is infielder Todd Frazier, the Reds supplemental first round draft pick last June. He also named third baseman Brandon Waring, who hit a combined 47 home runs last year between college baseball and his first professional season, as a possible member of the Dragons infield.

If Frazier and Waring do come to Dayton, the Dragons would have two of the top four home run hitters in all of NCAA Division I college baseball from last spring in their lineup.

"You should be pretty strong with those two," said Reynolds. "Those are two players that we like a lot. Most of the Dayton players will be players from our Billings club last year."

Both Frazier and Waring saw very brief action with the Dragons last summer.

Frazier played in six games with the Dragons and batted .318 with two home runs. Before coming to Dayton, he played in 41 games at Billings in the Pioneer League, batting .319 with five home runs. He was named the #1 prospect in the Pioneer League by Baseball America based on a poll of league managers.

Frazier completed his college career last spring at Rutgers University, hitting 22 home runs in 2007, the fourth highest total in the nation.

Interestingly, 10 years ago, Frazier led his Little League team from Toms River, New Jersey to the Little League World Series title, going 4 for 4 with a home run in the championship game against Japan.

Waring showed even more power than Frazier last year. He played in one game with the Dragons, collecting a two-run single in his only at bat, after drilling 20 home runs in 68 games at Billings to lead the Pioneer League in long balls. He batted .311 at Billings and also led the league in total bases and runs scored.

Last spring, Waring connected on 27 home runs at Wofford College to finish second in the nation and set a new Southern Conference single-season record. He batted .401.

Look for daily updates this week at www.dragonsbaseball.com as the Dragons and manager Donnie Scott complete the spring season.

Notes: For many of the minor league players, the pressure of the final week of spring training is as intense as it will be at any time this season, as the Reds have more bodies in camp than available jobs. Virtually everyday this week, some players will clean out their lockers and say their final goodbyes to teammates after getting the bad news. Pitcher Dan Donaldson, who appeared in 16 games for the Dragons over the last two seasons, was released this week...Two familiar faces to Cincinnati Reds fans were among the players who spent Sunday afternoon on the minor league fields at the Reds spring training complex. David Ross, the Reds starting catcher over the last two seasons, caught the first half of Sunday's game for Triple-A Louisville in their game against the Twins' Triple-A club. Ross has not played in a major league exhibition game this spring because of lower back spasms, but is progressing. Meanwhile, relief pitcher Todd Coffey, a former Dragon who has spent the last three seasons with the Reds and is currently in a battle for a spot in the big league club's bullpen, threw an inning for Double-A Chattanooga. Both Ross and Coffey got their work in before a crowd of a few dozen fans on the minor league side of the complex as the major league exhibition game was being played before 4,993 fans next door.

More Information: The Dayton Dragons are the Midwest League affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds and play a 70-game home schedule at beautiful Fifth Third Field in downtown Dayton, easily accessible from Interstate 75. Individuals and groups seeking information about Dayton Dragons group tickets, lawn tickets, the season ticket wait list, sponsorship opportunities or booking a Dragons speaker are encouraged to contact the Dragons by calling at (937) 228-2287, emailing at dragons@daytondragons.com, or on the web at daytondragons.com.

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Midwest League Stories from March 23, 2008


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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